- Title: Hong Kong NBA fans grateful, sneaker shops tense amid China furore
- Date: 9th October 2019
- Summary: MERCHANDISE FIGURINE OF RETIRED NBA PLAYER MICHAEL JORDAN
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2019 09:57
- Keywords: Hong Kong basketball fans NBA sneakers merchandise shop Hong Kong protest
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA004B0DILVR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hong Kong basketball fans on Wednesday (October 9) said they were grateful for NBA's support in their pro-democracy protests, while NBA merchandise shops feared a drop in sales from mainland China customers/.
Chinese organisers on Wednesday cancelled a fan event on the eve of a National Basketball Association (NBA) exhibition game in Shanghai, the latest fallout in a row over comments by a team official supporting protests in Hong Kong.
Chinese sponsors and partners have been cutting ties with the NBA after a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey last week supporting anti-government protests in the Chinese-ruled city.
For a shop selling NBA shirts and sneakers, among other merchandise, sales have been down 50 percent since the protests started four months ago.
Manager Alex Yip said they have been looking for other ways to mitigate losses.
The Shanghai Sports Federation said the cancellation of the fan event ahead of Thursday's (October 10) game between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers was due to the "inappropriate attitude" of Morey and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Silver said on Tuesday (October 8) the league supported Morey's right to exercise his freedom of expression, further angering authorities and some fans in China and threatening the NBA's business there, said to be worth more than $4 billion.
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